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The Snafu in Municipal Democracy
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Phillip Hong May 1, 2010
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It is natural for us as human beings to have differences in thoughts,
and our democracy helps to encourage a plurality that adds to better
governance by people who represent us. The point of a democracy is to be
part of these intermittent gatherings where something as menial as
crossing an "x" on a ballot could translate to formulating the priorities
of the public service.
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As an election official in past ballots, I can tell you first hand how
exciting it can be to see different people expressing their ideas
secretly and without prejudice. It's a system that we really have taken
for granted.
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There is a minority in the election mechanism, and it is a group of people
that can easily be found during municipal elections - sadly, I speak of those
who actually bothered to vote. It's dismal to know that a lot of people had
decided not to express their views. |
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According to statistics, the City of Vaughan had a horrible turnout in 2006
where only 38% of eligible voters had cared enough to go to the polls. Is it
really that hard to mark a small piece of paper? Or is it really that
appropriate to let a minority decide who will govern all of us for the next
four years? |
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There are common reasons why people don't show up at the polls - don't like
the candidates, can't understand the procedure, don't know who stands for
what - yet this is the most directly accountable level of government
available to us, free of partisan herding and coloured stripes. I truly am
baffled as to why most of us have not been able to actually show up.
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It's not rocket science, and the list of candidates will reflect a more
diverse set of views compared to the ideologies and manifestos found at
Queen's Park or Parliament Hill.
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If you want blunt motivation, here's this fact: If you don't vote, someone
else who did will make decisions that will affect you immensely. It's the
difference between getting the council we have to live with, and getting the
council we want to live with.
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I was lucky to have turned 18 the day before the last municipal election,
and I will cast my ballot no matter what I believe in or who I will support.
Will you?
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